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Monday, 25 November 2013

Aphrodite IX #6 Advance Review

Writer: Matt HawkinsArtist: Stjepan ŠejićI recently read the first volume of Aphrodite IX collecting all the issues prior to this and loved it, and have been looking forward to this issue ever since. The series so far has managed to not only integrate very well with Cyber Force, but has also done a good job of keeping a similar tone to the original series from David Finch and David Wohl whilst still being unique.

Plot

As Aphrodite IX progresses with her life now that she has all her memories, Marcus makes some changes and another upgraded Aphrodite, generation XV tests Aphrodite IX.

Review

This was an amazing issue and a great continuation to the series so far, also being a great jumping on point for new readers. Matt Hawkins does an incredible job of following on from the first volume, and showing how Aphrodite IX copes on her own now that she has all her memories back, as although the issue wasn't necessarily as exciting as the others, it was very interesting and suspenseful, setting up the future of this story perfectly. Hawkins would also do an outstanding job of changing things up a bit, as although some of the changes seemed slightly sudden, they did add a lot more tension to the issue, making it that much more interesting and dramatic.The artwork on this issue was once again spectacular, as although Stjepan Šejić may have changed his style a bit, it was still mind blowing. It is however hard to tell which style is better as I was a huge fan of his previous style, and although the new version is just as good there is a small part of me that wishes it was like his previous style. Besides that it would once again be highly detailed, with very few imperfections. His layouts would also be amazing, and the main positive I can notice from his new style is that the facial expressions and emotions were much more impactful, having a lot more depth to them. On top of that the colours from Šejić would also be outstanding and his new style is bound to grow on me even more.This issue would see T'Mark continue hunting down Aphrodite IX, actually locating her. Now this development wouldn't add much new to the series, and would really only be useful for new readers to show that T'Mark is looking for Aphrodite IX. It does however add some suspense to this issue, as although not quite as much as some of the previous developments, it does tease a lot about the eventual meeting between Aphrodite IX and T'Mark. Another thing that I liked about this sequence was that it flowed into the following sequence featuring Aphrodite IX beautifully.The leader of the Gen, Marcus would also feature in this issue, showing a few changes to his characteristics. Now I have to say that this adds a lot of excitement and interest to this issue, as well as suspense and drama, as although it did feel a bit sudden, it adds a unique twist to the series as a whole, making it much more intense and suspenseful on the whole. I do however feel that this issue hasn't showed enough of this development, but enough to grab my interest, and I'm sure later in the story it will expand into something much more exciting.We'd also get to see more of the mysterious Aphrodite XV who featured at the very end of the first volume, learning more about her and her connection to Aphrodite IX. Now I won't go into too much detail as to avoid spoilers, but this was easily the best part of the issue, as following the teaser of Aphrodite XV at the end of the first volume, as well as the way the Aphrodite Protocol has been utilised throughout other Top Cow series' such as Cyber Force I was very interested to see this new and advanced addition. On top of that the encounter between the two Aphrodite's would be extremely exciting and has me hooked to this series even more than I already was.

Final Verdict

Although not quite as good as the events from volume one, this was still a spectacular issue which sets up the future of this series perfectly. The new style from artist Šejić would also be impactful, and along with the amazing dialogue and plot from Hawkins this is looking to be yet another brilliant addition to the Aphrodite IX series, and I'd highly recommend it along with the first volume

Rating: 9/10

You can read my exclusive interview with Aphrodite IX writer and Top Cow President Matt Hawkins as well as view the preview for this issue here.

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About Me

I'm a huge comic book fan and Managing Editor at Snap Pow. I don't however spend all my time reading and writing about comics, as I also work in a cafe, with my hobbies including reading (favourite writers are Stephen King and Lee Child), playing video games, watching films and anime, as well as the occasionally visit to the pub.